More world records expected in Singapore

SINGAPORE (AFP) The final leg of the shortcourse swimming World Cup gets under way in Singapore on Saturday with expectations high that world records will fall. Sixteen new marks were set in Berlin last weekend with the vast majority achieved by athletes wearing the high-tech swimsuits that will be banned from January 1. It means Singapore will be one of the last times the controversial suits will be worn and swimmers will want to set more records with the impact of the new regulations on global swimming times yet to be known. Fourteen-time Olympic gold-medal winner Michael Phelps, who flopped in Germany, has opted out of this weekend but top stars Leisel Jones, Eamon Sullivan, Aaron Peirsol and Lisbeth Trickett will be in action. Breaststroke specialist Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa is another to watch after his performance in Germany when he broke two world records in the mens 50m and 100m breaststroke. Van der Burgh has been consistently performing well this season and will look to cap off his remarkable season with another strong display. Fellow South African Darian Townsend, who beat Phelps in the 200m individual medley in Berlin with a new world record of 1:51.55, will also be in the hunt for more medals. Australias 60-member contingent includes Jones, who holds the 100m breaststroke world record after clocking an astonishing 1:03.00. For the guys who have been in Europe on the World Cup already, they will be looking for continual improvement which many have already achieved in the series so far, said Swimming Australia head coach Alan Thompson. American Jessica Hardy, who posted a 28.80 to set a new world mark in the 50m breaststroke last weekend, will be Jones closest rival. Fellow American Peirsol is another big name to watch. The long-course 100m and 200m backstroke world record holder and multiple Olympic champion will be in strong contention for success in his pet events. Swedish swim queen Therese Alshammar, who has dominated the 50m freestyle this season, setting a World Cup record of 23.24 in Berlin, will also be favourite for gold once again in Singapore. Leading the overall rankings of the World Cup, Van der Burgh and Hardy will be keen to secure top spot in the mens and womens categories respectively to win the lucrative 30,000 US dollar prize money. In the mens category, Peter Marshall from the United States and swimming icon Roland Schoeman from South Africa are close behind Van der Burgh whilst Alshammar will be looking to upset Hardy in the womens ranking.